The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline (March 7 at 3 PM ET) is only five weeks away. Based on activity in the trade market since the start of this season, there could be plenty of player movement leading up to the big day.

Since the start of the regular season in October several notable players have been traded. Among them were defensemen Jacob Trouba and Cam Fowler and goaltenders Mackenzie Blackwood and Alexandar Georgiev.

The biggest move thus far occurred on Jan. 24 when the Carolina Hurricanes acquired scoring star Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche and 2018 Hart Memorial Trophy winner Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks in a three-team deal. That could set the stage for more bold moves in the coming weeks.

Activity continued in the trade market on Jan. 30 as the Philadelphia Flyers sent forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to the Calgary Flames in exchange for forwards Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier, and two draft picks.

The following day, the Vancouver Canucks traded center J.T. Miller in a multi-player deal to the New York Rangers. The Canucks then acquired defenseman Marcus Pettersson from the Pittsburgh Penguins in another multi-player move.

The Pettersson trade could stoke speculation that the Penguins could become big sellers by the trade deadline. Meanwhile, stars like Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand surfaced in recent media trade gossip.

How much of this conjecture is worth buying into? Follow along as we determine which ones are worth buying or selling with the trade deadline on the horizon.

You can express your views on this topic in the app comments below.

Philadelphia Flyers Not Moving Rasmus Ristolainen?

The Philadelphia Flyers made a significant multi-player trade on Jan.30, shipping forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to the Calgary Flames for forwards Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier and two draft picks. They might not be done making moves before the trade deadline.

Rasmus Ristolainen's improved performance made him the subject of some media trade chatter last fall. The rumors landed the 30-year-old Philadelphia Flyers defenseman at No. 5 on our December NHL Trade Block.

The speculation died away through December but returned last month when NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jordan Hall reported teams were calling the Flyers about Ristolainen's availability. The 6'4", 220-pounder has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $5.1 million. He also lacks no-trade protection.

Ristolainen is also a right-hand shot, a commodity among defensemen in demand around the league. He'd be enticing to clubs seeking more than a playoff rental player on their blueline.

Hall indicated Briere said he's not shopping Ristolainen. He cited the big blueliner's improvement and his value to his rebuilding club's defense corps.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Briere could change his mind if a team makes a substantial offer for Ristolainen. However, the remaining term on his contract combined with the Flyers' jockeying for a wild-card spot could keep him in Philadelphia for at least the remainder of this season.

Will The New York Islanders Shop Brock Nelson?

The New York Islanders are jockeying to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They begin February sitting four points out of the final wild-card berth with three teams ahead of them.

Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello told reporters on Jan. 9 that he's not focused on the trade deadline. He believes his team's performance will determine his course of action. Nevertheless, if they fail to rise further in the standing, it will fuel speculation over Brock Nelson's future with the club.

Nelson is in the final season of a six-year contract with a 16-team no-trade list and a cap hit of $6 million. The 33-year-old center is a three-time 30-goal scorer with plenty of postseason experience. topping our January NHL Trade Block Big Board.

Entering February, Nelson remains among this season's top trade candidates. On Jan. 15, The Ahletic's Pierre LeBrun claimed the Dallas Stars had some interest in Nelson. A week later, The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner reported industry sources claimed the Washington Capitals inquired into his availability.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Lamoriello could become a seller if the Isles remain out of contention in a month. This aging roster requires an overhaul. Nelson could fetch a return of futures that could replenish their prospect pipeline and inject some youth into their roster.

Could The Boston Bruins Trade Brad Marchand?

On Jan. 24, The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa cited an NHL executive suggesting the Boston Bruins could trade winger Brad Marchand at the trade deadline. "If they think it'll help the team, all bets are off," said the executive.

Marchand, 36, has been a heart-and-soul player for the Bruins throughout his 16-season NHL career. A talented, agitating winger, he replaced Patrice Bergeron as team captain before the 2023-24 season. However, he's also eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 as he completes his eight-year contract.

Shinzawa believes trading Marchand would signal the Bruins are waving the white flag this season. However, it could also fetch a significant return that helps them retool over the long term.

Marchand has an eight-team no-trade list which could complicate efforts to move him. Shinzawa thinks he'd jump at the chance to play alongside good friend and fellow Nova Scotia native Nathan MacKinnon if the Colorado Avalanche came calling.

Buy or Sell: Sell...for now

Shinzawa indicated much will depend on where the Bruins are in the standings by the deadline. They're currently jockeying for one of the Eastern Conference wild-card berths. Nevertheless, they could be open to moving Marchand if they don't intend to re-sign him provided they get a suitable offer.

Are the Pittsburgh Penguins Planning A Fire Sale?

As the calendar flipped to February, the Pittsburgh Penguins found themselves seven points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with seven clubs ahead of them in the standings. That raised the expectation that general manager Kyle Dubas would be a seller by the trade deadline.

Dubas fulfilled that expectation on Jan. 31, shipping defenseman Marcus Pettersson and winger Drew O'Connor to the Vancouver Canucks. In return, the Penguins received blueliner Vincent Desharnais, forward Danton Heinen, a prospect, and a conditional 2025 first-round pick originally belonging to the New York Rangers.

Before that, however, there was conjecture Dubas had bigger moves in mind.

On Jan. 20, RG.Org's Marco D'Amico cited a source claiming Dubas planned a fire sale of his veterans, with the only certain exceptions being Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, and Philip Tomasino. TSN's Chris Johnston reported only Crosby and Malkin were off-limits.

Two days later, Josh Yohe of The Athletic wondered if veteran defenseman Kris Letang might waive his no-movement clause for the right offer. He also indicated blueliner Erik Karlsson surfaced in trade rumors, despite his expensive contract and full no-movement clause.

D'Amico felt the Penguins could retain part of their share of Karlsson's expensive cap hit ($10 million) to facilitate a trade. However, Johnston indicated they wouldn't do that because they only have one salary retention spot.

After the Colorado Avalanche traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, Yohe cited some observers taking to social suggesting Crosby could be headed to Colorado. He dismissed that conjecture, pointing to Crosby's remarks about remaining a Penguin after signing a two-year contract extension last fall.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Dubas could make other moves before the trade deadline but he doesn't intend to blow up his roster. He shot down the fire-sale rumors while speaking with reporters on Jan. 23. "We've had lots of conversations, but are we telling teams everything must go? No," said Dubas.

Stats and standings (as of Jan. 31, 2025) via NHL.com. Salary info via PuckPedia.